Malawi lawyers urged to uphold ethics of the profession

Malawi Law Society (MLS) has urged its members to uphold the ethics of the law profession in order to remain relevant to the society.

MLS president John Suzi Banda, made the call on Friday May 29, 2015 during the sensitisation conference in the capital Lilongwe which MLS organized for legal practitioners aimed at highlighting emerging issues in ethics for possible transacting of business with the public interest.

Suzi-Banda said it was high time that the legal sector’s conduct was in line with the general public expectation than the current trend.

Legal ethics is a term used to describe a code of conduct governing proper professional behavior, which establishes the nature of obligations owed to individuals and to society.

In order to maintain a license to practice law, attorneys agree to uphold the Rules of Professional Conduct, adopted by the Malawi Law Society .

“So, the main object of the ethics of legal profession is to maintain the dignity of the legal professional and friendly relation between the bench and the bar”, appeals Banda.

He stressed that by adhering strictly to the ethics of the profession, corruption would be eliminated in the dispensation of justice

There has been concerns of corruption in the law profession resulting in unprofessional hike in lawyers service fees or engaging in money laundering for clients.